


The One That Is Wanted

by the_haven_of_fiction



Category: Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-05
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-11-09 10:36:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11102808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_haven_of_fiction/pseuds/the_haven_of_fiction
Summary: Tom meets a woman in a cafe who is experiencing rejection.





	The One That Is Wanted

**Author's Note:**

> This is from my own experiences and thoughts when dealing with rejection. Know what you want in a relationship and don't let fear drive you to accept something less than that.

He kept going back to the café because it reminded him of her.  It would always seem strangely appropriate to him that she had ended it where it began, even at the same table where they had both sat down in a hurry without noticing the other at first on the day that they met.  Coffee.  Talking.  Just talking over coffee and then an exchange of numbers.  One date.  Just one. 

Mentally cursing at himself for allowing his emotions to rule from the moment he looked across the table and saw the late afternoon sun lighting her hair like a halo, he closed his brolly and entered the café and quickly looked around. 

Nothing.

Elise was behind the register and gave him her usual bright smile and greeting.

“Hello, Tom! What can I get for you on this rainy day?”

He leaned across the counter to give her a peck on the cheek.

“Good afternoon, Elise.  Uhm, how about just a cup of Earl Gray and whatever biscuits you have concocted.”

A minute later he was seated in one of the fluffy armchairs and reached into his bag for the script, removing a pencil and highlighter from the pouch and settling back into the soft worn leather as in made those comforting squeaks.

About five minutes had passed when he noticed that a young couple at the table across the room seemed to be having some kind of argument, although their voices were low.  The man had a stocky athletic body and his face was scrunched together in frustration.  Tom couldn’t see her face due to the long auburn locks that were obscuring it, but he knew the woman was crying because she kept reaching up with her hands and the man eventually handed her a napkin in a rather stiff fashion.

He tried not to obviously stare, but couldn’t help himself from observing them.  The man placed his elbows on the table and tried to take her hand.  She jerked it away like she was trying to evade something poisonous.  The man’s arms slid slowly from the table and he stood up.  She wouldn’t look at him.  He sighed once, shoved his hands into his pockets, and turned and walked out.

Now the poor woman was visibly shaking from her tears.  Tom glanced over to the counter and saw that Elise was discussing something with one of the employees and didn’t seem to be aware of what had happened.  Something about her distress moved him and compassion overtook any shyness or worry about intrusion.

He set down the script and the pencil on the short round table by his chair and picked up a napkin.  Not giving himself time to back out, he moved with purpose over to her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.  Her face was flushed with embarrassment when she looked up at him.

“I’m so sorry, forgive me if I’m disturbing you.  I’m Tom.  Can I do anything to help you?”

The napkin in her hand was getting soaked and he handed her the fresh one in his hand.

A whispered word of thanks accompanied her question.

“Can you make him want me?”

He didn’t mean to laugh and it sounded quite harsh and tinged with bitterness to his ears, but for some reason it seemed to relax her.  She motioned towards the now empty chair that her former companion had been occupying. 

“I’m afraid I can’t make him want you.  But can I suggest something to you?”

She wiped away more tears, nodding at him.

“I know rejection is one of the worst parts of human experience.  Trust me, I know. I know it’s terribly painful, to be willing to give so much and have it be rejected.”

The image of blond hair and pink cheeks danced across his mind and he was quiet for a few seconds.

“I also know it’s so difficult in the moment to let any kind of logical thought be the dominating factor in your life.”

One of her elbows was propped up on the table and he reached for her.  She slipped her fingers into his hand.  Her eyes were still filled with tears and he let his thumb brush slowly across her knuckles.

“But if a man doesn’t desire you more than anything else or any other person, then he isn’t worthy of your desire for him.”

A little breathy “Oh!” came from her and fresh tears slipped down her cheeks.

“No one’s ever said that to me,” she whispered.

He smiled at her and was pleasantly surprised when she attempted to return it.

“I’ve recently been meditating on this thought:  why would I ever want to be with someone who doesn’t want to be with me?  The old adage that we want what we can’t have, that simply doesn’t bode well for a healthy relationship.  Why would I want to force someone to be a part of my life?”

She looked at him thoughtfully, tilting her head and taking slow deep breaths.

“I guess that idea has merit, it’s just difficult when the relationship has already passed the initial stages and you have hope that it could be long term.”

He considered her statement for a few seconds.

“Yes, I can see how that would be more difficult.  How long were you together, if I may ask?”

“We dated for about a month while we were still seeing other people and then we agreed to only see each other.  That was two months ago.”

“I see,” he answered slowly. “And did you bring up that topic or did he?”

She frowned and he was worried that he had offended.

“He did.  I was surprised, because it seemed soon to me.  I mean, based on his history.  I’ve known him for about two years.  He’s never had a steady relationship.”

Tom hummed softly to himself and leaned back in his chair.

“What did he say when he left just now?”

Then a look of near shock washed over his face and he blushed, staring to rise from the chair.

“Oh my goodness, I am so sorry, I realize that this must seem intrusive to you, having a stranger ask these questions. I-“

She stopped him with a gentle squeeze of her hand.

“It’s alright.  I want to talk about it.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, he relaxed and kept his seat.

‘He said that things were getting to serious, too soon and that we can’t rewind.”

“Do you think it’s possible that he’s just scared?  You know his history with relationships; since he’s the one who initiated the deeper commitment, maybe that’s the trouble.”

Her eyes lit up as if that idea hadn’t occurred to her.

“I…I suppose that’s possible, yes.”

Tom suddenly realized that he didn’t know her name or his name.  He laughed nervously and shared the thought with her.  This time the smile was wide and beautiful.

“Carys.  My name is Carys.  He’s Martin.”

“Carys, if Martin doesn’t want to be a part of your life, it’s because he shouldn’t be.”

Something clicked in her mind.  He saw it flash in her eyes.

“Tom, you’re telling me this because it’s happened to you, hasn’t it?  Recently?”

He simply nodded, feeling that tightening around his heart that was lessening with eat day.

“It’s difficult isn’t it, when your heart feels one thing and your mind knows another?”

Her voice was soft and she was looking at him with sincere empathy.

He nodded again.  When she saw the tear run down his face, she passed him a napkin.

“Tom, you and I, we can make it.  We can get past these people.  You are correct.  Why would we want to be with someone who doesn’t want to be with us?  Somewhere, in this world, there are two people who might be sitting in a café having this same conversation.  They are looking for us.  Let’s not settle for the one that we want.  Let’s wait to be the one that is wanted as well.”


End file.
